I have been working in the Ministry of culture in the international cultural relations Deputyship in KSA as an advisor for the last 12 years, where I have gained beneficial skills as a leader and manager. However, I believe that I should improve my skills to become a better professional and serve in a higher position. To develop my career, I am determined to sharpen my communication skills in the English language and improve my ability to negotiate and engage in political dialogues.
I will enroll in specialized courses to help identify areas requiring improvement and make the necessary changes to achieve my objective. I intend to manage the African continent and eventually serve as a deputy minister of the ICR within the next five years and later as a manager. This paper explains my development plan for the next five years and the strategies in place to achieve the expected results.
Evaluation
A manager or leader is expected to create goals and visions to influence other people to achieve the set objective and deliver quality work. As a leader and manager, I have what it takes to enhance people’s morale and drive success. I possess beneficial qualities, including the ability to inspire others, honesty and transparency, strategic view, and ability to communicate effectively (Trigeorgis & Reuer, 2017). Moreover, I can make informed decisions, lead by example, and work with the teams to inspire them to work hard and achieve their expectations. Although delegation is necessary to a manager, I understand that certain tasks and decisions cannot be outsourced based on their sensitivity and importance.
I can make solid decisions, provide focus and clarity for the team, and encourage everyone to remain on track towards the achievement of the ultimate goals. My 12 years’ experience has taught me the need to support creativity, innovation, and confidence, particularly when setting new directions (Sheng et al., 2017). I would rate myself as a strong manager since I have desirable qualities such as creativity, responsibility, focus, empathy, communication skills, confidence, and decisiveness.
Possessing the necessary skills means that I am capable of establishing a work culture that promotes mutual trust and teamwork. On the other hand, working in diverse environments or facing a stressful situation does not obstruct me from remaining determined and focused (Chen & Lin, 2018). Although I have many strengths as a manager, I am being challenged by the weakness of communicating in English since it is my second language. This is affecting some of my skills, such as conflict resolution and effective interaction. However, I am making every effort to improve my capabilities by practicing and enrolling in a relevant course.
Personal SWOT Analysis as a Manager and Leader
Strength
- Confidence and creativeness;
- Decisiveness, responsibility, and accountability;
- Focus and empathy;
- Passion and dedication.
Weaknesses
- Excessive connectivity;
- Communication in a second language;
- Positive outlook;
- Conflict management;
- The pursuit of perfection.
Opportunities
- Background in media, culture, management, and leadership, which was strengthened with a degree, will open up new opportunities;
- Since I have been working with the Ministry for a long period, I can be considered when internal opportunities emerge;
- Experience in different departments means that I can work in the steering committee.
Threats
- Stiff competition in the Ministry;
- Extensive leadership pressure.
Direction
I am working hard to attain senior positions and serve as the Deputy of the ICR and later a minister. Working as a manager will allow me to support effective utilization of the available resources, eliminate social and economic discrimination, and provide a favorable environment for everyone (Sheng et al., 2017). My dream is to support women and marginalized communities to attain a better quality of life and improve their living standards. Although achieving the objective is a challenging task, I believe that I will make it through serving well in my current position and enrolling in the necessary courses. My mission is to become a minister in the next five years, offer guidance, and support forward-thinking and innovative ideas.
The Purpose behind the Mission
My desire to support other people and promote equity in the distribution of resources motivates me to seek a better position. Working in the Ministry of culture in international cultural relations Deputyship in KSA as an advisor gives me the beneficial experience necessary to serve in a higher position. It is my dream to have a society that is free from any form of discrimination where people are given equal opportunities for employment and education regardless of their background and gender (Chen & Lin, 2018). Since I am a female, I am determined to assist girls and women attain equity by influencing the elimination of discriminatory policies affecting them.
It is my dream to advance my position and gain a better chance to serve many people and contribute to the improvement of their lives. My passion for goals and development is to acquire an influential position where I would make greater decisions to address specific issues affecting everyone in society.
Roadmap for the 5-Year Plan
Short-Term or Immediate Goals (0-2 Year)
I will take a leadership course to improve on weaknesses, eliminate threats, widen opportunities, and perfect strengths. The course will enhance my ability to organize people, promote performance, and identify areas requiring improvement. It will promote my ability to manage the African team, improve my communication and facilitate the development of the necessary skills to resolve arising issues. Moreover, I will be making determined efforts to acquire the upcoming position of director of Africa continent at the Deputyship of International Cultural Relations.
Mid-Term (2-4 Year)
I am planning to manage the African team in the next 2-4 years to enhance my leadership and managerial skills. This will offer a great opportunity to learn and gain experience in the management of people with varying cultural backgrounds. Interacting with Africans will create new challenges and boost my ability to resolve conflict, and play a role in the improvement of my weak areas (HatiboÄźlu et al., 2019). I will get a better opportunity to perfect my communication skills and learn how to show cultural competence and sensitivity. Managing the team will create room for me to learn about their beliefs and help identify strategies to motivate and encourage them to offer the best quality work. The experience will place me in a better position and help me gain the necessary skills to work as a deputy minister of the ICR.
Long-term (5+ year)
I plan to become the Deputy of the ICR by the fifth year and later work hard to attain a greater position as a minister. To accomplish my goals, I will need to work closely with key people in the ministry and show respect to everyone. I will also need to be honest and avoid engaging in activities that can compromise my ability to advance. Being selected for these positions will require not only the development of the necessary skills but also enhancing reliability, accountability, and trust. Making the vision a reality will necessitate the development of an effective development plan and adhering to the stipulated guidelines (Chen & Lin, 2018). I will need to interact positively with everyone and consider taking the relevant courses to become competent.
Known/Unknown
I am sure about some aspects, but others are prospects, which I lack the certainty of whether they will happen within the suggested period. One aspect that I am confident about is that I will be taking a leadership course to promote my skills and capabilities. I am certain that I need better experience and skills to actualize my dream of becoming a minister. I will need to work with skillful people and those in leadership to gain inspiration and learn from them. What I do not know yet is whether there will be a vacancy in the position of deputy minister and minister within the period stated in my plan. This means that I will need to consult the minister to know when their time in office will expire.
Other Aspect to Complete the Plan
Making my plan useable and complete will require determining and making every effort to support it. I will invest all my energy in terms of time and resources to ensure that I accomplish all the necessary tasks within the stated period. The plan requires seriousness, a desire to assist others, and the elimination of possible obstacles. This means that I will take the necessary measures to make an effort to improve my weaknesses and increase my chances of excelling.
References
Chen, H. L., & Lin, Y. L. (2018). Goal orientations, leader-leader exchange, trust, and the outcomes of project performance. International Journal of Project Management, 36(5), 716–729. Web.
Hatiboğlu, B., Özateş Gelmez, Ö. S., & Öngen, Ç. (2019). Value conflict resolution strategies of social work students in Turkey. Journal of Social Work, 19(1), 142–161. Web.
Sheng, Z., Wolff, L., Kilmer, L., & Yager, S. (2017). School administration manager: Redefining the principal’s role as an instructional leader. Journal of School Leadership, 27(1), 119–142. Web.
Trigeorgis, L., & Reuer, J. J. (2017). Real options theory in strategic management. Strategic Management Journal, 38(1), 42–63. Web.